Use 1. It teacheth us how to pray to God. Our prayers should be
VeK. 15.] SEKMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 395
to be delivered not from the world so much as from the evil of the world, from sins rather than afflictions. The saints seek grace rather than deliverance in their afflictions, direction as well as protection, that they may do nothing unseemly while they suffer : Ps. cxli. 3, 4, * Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works witli them that work iniquity ; and let me not eat of their dainties.' And they desire improvement rather than a discharge ; for the saints do not conceive prayers out of interest, but from a principle of the new nature. To a gracious eye, sustentation under the cross is better than absolute deliverance ; the deliverance is a common mercy, the susten- tation is a special mercy. Carnal men may be without affliction, but carnal men have no experience of grace ; and bare deliverance is no sign of special love, but improvement is : ' My grace is sufficient for thee.' It is divinity preached from heaven makes the saints to rejoice in infirmities. Paul before was earnest to be freed from the trouble.
Use 2. How to wait and hope for the blessings of Christ's purchase. Absolute immunity is not to be looked for, but victory and conserva- tion : 2 Tim. iv. 18, ' The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom.' A christian placeth his hope chiefly on that. Paul could not look for such a deliverance again from the lion, but from an unworthy carriage. The blessings which Christ hath obtained of his Father are rather spiritual and celestial than temporal ; therefore he is more solicitous to free us from sin than from trouble : Mat. i. 21, ' Thou shalt call his name Jesus ; for he shall save his people from their sins ;' not from their troubles, their sorrows, but their sins. We would be delivered from sickness, trouble, danger ; but Christ is a spiritual saviour ; the great deliver- ance is to be freed from sin.
Use 3. To teach us to suffer with patience. Let us endure the evil of punishment, that we may escape the evil of sin. Moral evil is worse than natural ; it is better to be miserable than to be sinful. Of all evil sin is the greatest : to be carnal, a swearer, a drunkard, an unclean person, this is a greater evil than poverty, sickness, blindness, lameness; this doth not separate from God.
4. Observe the danger of the worldly estate. It appears in two things : —
First, The multiplicity of snares. The whole world is full of snares, and we can walk nowhere but we are like to be defiled. It is a vale of tears, and a place of snares ; and therefore a vale of tears because a place of snares, which make the saints go up and down groaning : Eom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from this body of death?' All conditions of life may become a snare, pro- sperity, adversity : Prov. xxx. 8, 9, ' Give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient for me ; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord ? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of God in vain.' Mark, either condition hath its snares, but prosperity hath most. As a garment too short will not cover our nakedness, and too long proveth lacinia prccpendens, ready to trip up our heels. Many that carry themselves well in one condition quite miscarry in another ; as it is observed of Joab : 1 Kings ii. 28, * That
396 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [Ser. XXIV.
he turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom.' * Ephraim is a cake not turned/ Hosea vii. 8. The young prophet that withstood the king is overcome with the insinuations of tlie old prophet, 1 Kings xiii. 16, 17. Some miscarry in adversity, others in })rosperity, hut more there ; as diseases that grow of fulness are more dangerous than diseases that grow of want. The taking God's name in vain is not so bad as denying God : ' Lest I be full and deny thee ; lest I be poor, and take thy name in vain.' They that are full live as if there were no God at all ; there is the snare ; and in adversity we are impatient, as in j)rosperity we are forgetful of God. Paul ' learned of Christ how to be abased and how to abound,' Phil. iii. 12. We must do both. But there is a greater snare in prosperity ; the more of the Avorld the worse ; as fat and fertile grounds are most rank of weeds, and produce most thorns and thistles : Eom. viii. 39, ' Nor height, nor depth, shall sei)arate us from the love of God that is iu Christ Jesus our Lord.' The depth of misery is a snare, and the height of happiness too ; there the snare is greater. Misery is often made an occasion to bring us to Christ, but never fulness, ease, and plenty. The moon is never eclipsed but when at full ; God's children have most miscarried then. David was not soiled with lust whilst he wandered in the wilderness, but whilst he walked on the terrace of his palace ; then men discover themselves, as a leaky vessel is known when it is filled with water. Adversity makes men more reserved and serious ; when the vessel is empty, its hoUowness and unsoundness is least discovered. Thus every condition may prove a snare. So every calling and course of life. In ordinary callings, a long familiarity breedeth a liking, and the soul receiveth taints from objects to which we are accustomed. Men that have much to do in the world had need take heed of a worldly spirit; continual presence of the object secretly linketh the affections ; long suits prevail at length, and green wood kindleth by long lying on the fire. When the course of your callings and employments put you much upon worldly business, the heart is drawn away from God insensibly, and you will find less savour in holy things. Yea, in that calling which immediately respects the service of God there wants not snares : 1 Tim. iii. 6, ' Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride, he falleth into the condemnation of the devil.' Holy things are often abused by a jierverse aim. Those that are set on the pinnacles of the temple are in danger ; the devil carried Christ thither with an intent to tempt him. Christ prayeth here i)rincipally for the college of the apostles ; ministers are in danger as well as others ; we have our temptations as well as you. Nay, in all actions and employments, worship, feeding, trading, sporting, all these may become a snare ; and temptations are like the wind, that bloweth from every corner, east, west, north, and south. So there are temptations in worship to pride, self-confidence, carnal distractions. Satan stealeth away our hearts from under Christ's own arm : ' When the sons of God met together, Satan was amongst them,' Job i. 6. Not only our table 2iiay be turned into a snare, but duties into dung. In recreations, eat- ing, drinking, bodily refreshments, there is a snare. Job i, 5, Job sac- rificed while his children were a-banqueting. At a feast there are more guests than are invited ; evil spirits haunt such meetings ; and usually